<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Matchmaker by DisneyOTPFanatic</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28429746">Matchmaker</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyOTPFanatic/pseuds/DisneyOTPFanatic'>DisneyOTPFanatic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Philinda Prompts [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Philinda - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:47:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,062</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28429746</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyOTPFanatic/pseuds/DisneyOTPFanatic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Deke Shaw has a bunch of new responsibilities in his new timeline as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. But he also has a personal mission that takes priority.</p><p>Setting up Academy-era Phil Coulson and Melinda May.</p><p>(Originally written before season 7 was fully released, so any errors are because I was very lost and decided not to change anything before posting 😅)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Phil Coulson/Melinda May</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Philinda Prompts [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047703</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FIC I'VE EVER WRITTEN.</p><p>An amazing prompt from MelindaMayOwnsMe, who asked me to write a fic about Deke setting up May and Coulson in his new timeline after Season 7.</p><p>So here we go! Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"But I don't get why you want me to talk to her, sir. I don't know her that well."</p><p>Deke sighed dramatically as he ran a hand through his significantly longer hair. Choosing to stay behind while the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D team went back to their own time had been a tough but very smart decision. It had been years, decades almost. He missed his friends, his family… but wouldn't have felt good about himself had he let Sousa stay behind. As much as he'd liked Daisy, he knew she had fallen for the old man way harder than she could have ever fallen for him.</p><p>And that was fine. They were good together.</p><p>Deke had become the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, which was awesome. He had appointed Victoria Hand and Nick Fury to make a lot of the decisions on a day to day basis, so he had time to go out and see the world under the guise of recruiting… while also making sure a few important things happened in this timeline, like making sure Nana and Bobo would meet one day. And making sure Alphonso Mackenzie became the S.H.I.E.L.D mechanic he was always meant to be. And finding ways to bring Elena Rodriguez to S.H.I.E.L.D when the time was right.</p><p>Oh yeah, and setting up Coulson with Melinda May. Yes Deke knew they weren't together back at S.H.I.E.L.D Academy in the other timeline, but this time Deke wanted to see how things would go if they were. Maybe he could speed up the process that he'd been told had taken over two decades to complete.</p><p>"I’m putting you two in the same Combat Studies course next week." Deke grinned. "You should introduce yourself before she pins you to the mats for the first time."</p><p>Young Coulson was almost sweating now, an uncomfortable chuckle his only reply to the imagery that sentence had conjured up. His hands twisted in his sweatpants pockets nervously as he stared at the literal Director of S.H.I.E.L.D standing next to him, then turned his attention back to Melinda May halfway across the courtyard.</p><p>He had almost had a stroke when Director Shaw had come to his dorm room at the Academy. He'd thought the knocking was John Garrett, his roommate, so he'd answered it with a sigh and a frown. Thankfully the Director didn't seem too upset with his annoyed tone and lack of a shirt, and had invited him to take a walk around the campus with him instead of berating him.</p><p>Of course Coulson had accepted (after putting on his Academy shirt). He was too worried about losing his perfect track record if he didn’t.</p><p>They had walked and talked for a while, and Coulson had been so nervous that he didn't notice how targeted the discussion had been at first.</p><p>---</p><p>"Made any friends yet?"</p><p>"I didn't know we were supposed to, sir."</p><p>"Well you should. Even spies need friends."</p><p>"...Yes, sir."</p><p>"Talked to any of the female agents?"</p><p>"A few."</p><p>"Oh really? How many exactly?"</p><p>"Um… I don't see how-"</p><p>"Does the name May ring a bell? Melinda May?"</p><p>---</p><p>"Not a test exactly. More of an...evaluation." Deke cleared his throat, silently wondering why he'd chosen to wear this black trenchcoat in the middle of the summer. Sure there was a breeze blowing across the courtyard, but he could still feel sweat dripping down the back of his neck. "An indicator of things to come."</p><p>Mack would be impressed with how important he made it all sound. And in truth, it was extremely important. If Coulson never met May, they wouldn’t end up on the same team. They wouldn’t put Nana and Bobo on the same team with them which means they would never fall in love, his mom would never be born, and Deke himself would never be born years after that. If they didn't meet, they wouldn’t ever recruit Daisy and basically adopt her. They wouldn’t go to space or travel through time or save the world or anything like that. They didn’t know it yet, but Phil Coulson and Melinda May were essential to this and every other timeline.</p><p>And you know, if they ended up together as a couple, it would only make things more interesting.</p><p>"Oh." Coulson blinked, turning his attention back to the familiar woman Director Shaw had just gestured to. She was sitting on the ground beneath one of the many trees, a small pile of textbooks next to her while she read a different sort of book. They had run into each other once before, an awkward smile exchanged as they passed each other near the gym. She was leaving from a sparring session, and he was headed to one. He had to admit she was beautiful, even when she was dripping sweat while the line of agents trailing behind her whined about getting their butts kicked. He’d awkwardly complimented her technique, and she’d explained that she had honed her skills on her own, and that was why she spent so much time in the gym outside of actual class time. He’d had to bite his tongue from blurting out how impressed he was.</p><p>Deke didn’t know much about their little run-in, although he’d gotten wind of the infamous prankster Melinda May chatting up some Communications student after sparring one day. That had been why he had decided to check on them in the first place. Deke was worried that May was connecting with a different student in this timeline, even though it had only been one instance. </p><p>He couldn't take any chances.</p><p>Coulson ran a hand over his head, and Deke wanted to laugh at how thick his hair was. He was so used to seeing poor "slowly balding" Coulson back in the other timeline that it was strange seeing him so… fluffy. </p><p>Deke shook himself, bringing himself back to the moment at hand.</p><p>"Just say hello. I want to see…" he blinked, trying to think of something that a Director might look for. "Your communication skills. That's the department you're in right?"</p><p>"Yes, sir."</p><p>"Then...go communicate."</p><p>"... Yes, sir."</p><p>Deke watched, amused, as Coulson made his way over to Agent May, deftly dodging a different agent who came flying through on a hoverboard. He laughed to himself when Coulson made it safely over, where May had stopped reading her book and was watching him as well. She seemed...amused, if the smile on her face was any indication.</p><p>Deke watched from behind the pair of sunglasses he'd just put on, so no one would think he was strange for staring at two of his many agents in training.</p><p>"So the Director wanted you to… come say hello?" May asked, her eyebrow raised and an inquisitive smirk on her lips. "He knows we've met before, right? Can you not make friends yourself?"</p><p>"No, I can." Coulson chuckled, reaching up to rub the back of his neck nervously. "To be honest with you, I think he's testing me."</p><p>"Strange way of evaluating someone." </p><p>"I thought so too. But we're going to be in the same Combat Studies course so I think it has something to do with that." Coulson laughed softly, glancing down at her pile of textbooks that she was sliding into her bag. "But I can see you're a little busy so-"</p><p>"I saw you sparring the other day." May said, zipping up her bag and standing. "You're not bad."</p><p>"Oh uh, thanks." Coulson's ears burned crimson.</p><p>"Not great, either." May snorted, stretching as she straightened. Coulson had to actively avoid staring at her while she did so.</p><p>"Gee, thanks." Coulson deadpanned, rolling his eyes. His face suddenly felt warm, his words spilling out before he could stop them. "Are you offering to help me out or…"</p><p>"I might be." May smirked, shrugging while she snatched up her bag with her books in it, throwing it over her shoulder. "Meet me in the gym tomorrow morning and find out."</p><p>Deke couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could tell May found Coulson intriguing by the way she shook his offered hand and walked away with a playful smile. Coulson was already grinning like an idiot, his hands in his pockets as he watched her go. He glanced towards Deke, and Deke just nodded in approval and walked off back towards his office. He really hoped younger Coulson was at least half as smooth as the Coulson he'd seen making out with May on the Kree ship, because Deke couldn't do all the work himself.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>Deke was already bored out of his mind when the knock on his office door sounded, so he was more than a little excited when Coulson stepped in.</p><p>"Oh, Agent Coulson. Come in. What's up?"</p><p>Coulson looked...giddy. His cheeks were red, his hands behind his back, a single bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face despite the air conditioning in the office.</p><p>"I'm here with my findings." He said with a little laugh, shuffling his feet as he sat in the offered seat across from Deke.</p><p>"Your findings?"</p><p>"Agent May, sir?"</p><p>"Oh! Oh yeah. Right." Deke laughed, sitting forward and leaning his forearms on his desk. This was gonna be good. "Report away."</p><p>"Okay…" Coulson looked confused, but continued anyway. "Well, she's in Operations. She took down John Garrett and Clint Barton at the same time sparring the other day so more than likely I’m going to end up on my back.”</p><p>Deke tried not to laugh triumphantly at the blush he saw creeping up Coulson’s neck as he finished rattling off the other small details he’d learned about Melinda May. They ended their meeting with Coulson letting him know she agreed to spar with him before their first class to help him prepare.</p><p>"At least, I think she did. I'm supposed to meet her before class tomorrow."</p><p>"Sounds like you'd better get back to your dorm then, huh? You've got a date in the morning." Deke waggled his brows suggestively, holding back a triumphant laugh at how beet red Coulson's face got.</p><p>"Uh...I'm not sure if-"</p><p>"A date as in an appointment, Agent Coulson. Relax."</p><p>This was going to be easier than he thought. Now all Deke had to do was talk to May.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>The next time he saw May, she was standing outside the training room, alone. Deke was a little bit alarmed, but realized they couldn’t spend every single minute together. That would be weird for two spies in separate departments, which he had to remind himself. They weren’t the lovestruck saps he’d worked with before. They didn’t have years of bonding and close calls between them, so there wasn’t a reason for the two of them to be seen together at all times. They weren’t even officially agents yet, much less partners.</p><p>Reminding himself that this was normal, he put his hands behind his back and walked up to her, glad he had gotten rid of his trenchcoat. It was more of a Nick Fury thing anyway.</p><p>“Agent May.”</p><p>May looked up, straightening up and dropping her tablet down to her side. Her face took on a serious expression, the tablet at her side going dark as she quickly turned off the screen. She had been smiling a moment ago, but it faded the minute she realized who it was. She stood stiff, the way most agents did when he approached them, but there was an awkwardness to her that he’d never seen in the Melinda May he knew before.</p><p>“Director Shaw, sir.” she nodded once in acknowledgement, her hands behind her back.</p><p>“Agent May.” he gestured to the tablet she was clearly trying not to draw attention to, still a little giddy at being in charge of someone he knew would grow up to be ridiculously intimidating. “Looking at something interesting?”</p><p>“No, sir.” she said uncomfortably, a slight wince on her face when he just smiled at her in response. She’d been caught in a little white lie. “Apologies, sir. I was... researching.”</p><p>May looked almost embarrassed, but masked it quickly as she put the tablet into his waiting hand. Deke had to try his hardest not to grin when he saw “Agent Phil Coulson - Communications” scrawled along the bottom of the tablet. Coulson’s headshot was featured above his name, his signature knowing smile on his face. Eventually Deke had to speak, and his smile broke over his face without his consent.</p><p>“Ah. Researching your fellow agents?” he nearly chuckled. Unfortunately May took his amusement the wrong way.</p><p>“A good agent knows every aspect of every assignment, sir.” she said stiffly, her jaw tightening. “I was informed that Agent Coulson would be in the same Combat Studies course next week, and I offered to spar with him one-on-one. I figured it would keep things interesting if he could actually hold his own against me. I-”</p><p>Deke put up a hand to stop her, his sudden laughter startling her a bit.</p><p>“Whoa Agent May, I wasn’t impugning your honor or anything like that.”</p><p>“Sir," she sighed. "I wasn’t-”</p><p>“You were being a smart agent. I knew what you were doing before I came to you.” Deke was lying through his teeth, but she seemed to believe him from the way her shoulders loosened slightly. “I was only going to encourage you to… deepen your search.”</p><p>Her eyebrow raised, and she slid a hand into her pocket awkwardly without realizing it.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>“Walk with me.”</p><p>May tried her best not to seem too off-kilter considering the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D had just encouraged her to continue her admittedly embarrassing research. But even she could feel the odd shuffle in her walk as she waited for him to speak.</p><p>"I see a lot of potential in you, Agent May."</p><p>"Thank you, sir."</p><p>"I also see a lot of potential in Agent Coulson." Deke had to bite the inside of his cheek hard to keep from smiling again as he let the rest rush out. "I'm thinking you two should be partners for your first assignment."</p><p>He looked over at her when she didn't respond right away. She was staring straight ahead, a pink blush slowly creeping up her neck as she cleared her throat.</p><p>"Partners, sir? But...we barely know each other. I agree he has a lot of potential, at least from what I've seen while sparring but… partners already?"</p><p>Deke slowed their walk to a stop in front of the large window near some of the classrooms, his eyes locking on one particularly uninteresting tree so he had something to look at while he talked. May was staring at him, and he knew that if he looked back at her, he would either laugh with excitement or grin so hard she might suggest he get his head checked.</p><p>"I've read both of your files thoroughly. I know more than you think I do, trust me." That statement held a lot more meaning than she knew, and he wished he could just tell her why he was doing this. "I'm sure you'll see what I see soon."</p><p>May just nodded, beyond perplexed and admittedly a little giddy to find out why the Director had taken such an interest in her and Agent Coulson. </p><p>Sparring with Coulson was fun. She was usually entertained by rendering people exhausted and half-wounded on the mats,  but with Coulson…</p><p>She had enjoyed their little sparring sessions so far. He had a habit of cracking awful jokes to try and throw her off her game, which had only worked once or twice. She also admired his determination. After being knocked on his butt at least five times already, she would have expected him to stop showing up when he knew she was there. But every time she texted him either before or after her classes were finished, he was ready to go. And every time he ended up flat on his back, pinned by her, all he did was grin up at her as she sat on his torso and congratulate her on besting him yet again.</p><p>He was picking up a few tricks, catching her off guard a few times with moves she thought he wasn't paying attention to when she'd used them on him. He picked things up quickly and effectively, and she couldn't pretend like she didn't look forward to trading laughter-filled blows with him.</p><p>"I'm sure I will, sir." She smiled.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>Deke had almost forgotten about checking on Coulson and May after a while. It had been weeks, and he knew they were getting suspicious with the visits every other day. He got busy with some actual new recruits, and was in the middle of deciding whether or not to accept half of them with familiar names when his office door sounded like it was coming off of its hinges. </p><p>"Uh, come in!" His voice cracked, his body going stiff as he was almost startled out of his chair. He cleared his throat, sitting up straighter in his chair while he waited for whoever was so upset to enter.</p><p>He nearly choked on his snort of laughter when Victoria Hand stormed in, two syrup-drenched agents trailing behind her. Coulson looked completely apologetic and a little annoyed, but May seemed completely amused with her arms crossed over her chest. Deke didn't even need Victoria to explain, it was clear that May had dragged Coulson into a prank… gone wrong.</p><p>After letting Victoria rant angrily about "syrup in the halls" and "several very angry agents" and "disciplinary action", Deke was left alone with two awkwardly shifting pranksters.</p><p>"I would ask you to sit down but I don't feel like paying to dry clean my chairs." Deke forced himself to sigh disappointedly.</p><p>May snorted, while Coulson looked like he might faint. The tips of his ears were red, and his eyes wouldn't meet Deke's. He kept glancing at May, apparently trying to see how she could be so calm while getting in trouble. May wasn't supplying any help, and that left Coulson to try and apologize for both of them.</p><p>"I'm sorry, sir… we didn't mean to make that big of a mess."</p><p>"Syrup leaves trails." May half-shrugged. "We forgot about that." </p><p>Deke wanted to laugh so badly. Now this was the Melinda May he had heard about. The unapologetically mischievous Melinda May. The one he didn't know in person but the one Daisy told him about when May wasn't around. Coulson had told her about the goofball that was Academy-era May, and she had gotten so excited telling Deke all the stories she had been told that he wished he would've gotten to meet her back then.</p><p>Some things never change, thankfully, regardless of timeline. This was hysterical.</p><p>Even behind the embarrassment written all over his face, Deke could see the slightest hints of a smile tugging at the corners of Coulson's mouth every time he looked at May.</p><p>But as much as he was enjoying watching this, Deke knew he had to act somewhat like a Director would knowing there was a trail of syrup somewhere on his campus. He dismissed them to get cleaned up, sending along an order that they clean up their syrup mess before coming back to get a good old talking to.</p><p>They left his office similar to the way they had entered, except Coulson now had a smile on his face. May reached up to swipe a drop of syrup from his forehead when they got back out into the hallway, smirking as she sucked it from her finger with a laugh.</p><p>"I knew you were bad news." He chuckled, swiping some syrup from her nose and licking it off of his finger as well.</p><p>"You didn't have to say yes when I asked you." May grinned, walking alongside him rather awkwardly from how sticky her clothes were.</p><p>"As if I'd turn something like pumping syrup into Garrett and Clint's lockers down." He smiled shyly when she gave him a grin and nudged his shoulder.</p><p>"It was pretty funny, wasn't it?"</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>Hand had sent along footage an hour later, a note about it being "incriminating evidence" at the bottom of the message. Deke sat in his office when he got the notification, having sent May and Coulson back to their rooms after forcing them to promise not to do anything syrup-related ever again. It was a weird promise, but Deke purposely left room for them to prank again because he knew they would turn it into a bonding activity.</p><p>Anything to help them get closer. </p><p>Pressing play on the security footage only made Deke's grin grow, and he leaned back In his chair as he watched the story play out in front of him.</p><p>One camera showed Coulson and May sparring on the mats. Another showed them leaving the gym together, May detailing what could only be described as their master plan to a skeptical-looking Coulson. A different camera showed the inside of the west wing kitchen, two figures moving in the darkness carrying a large tub. A quick cut to the hallway outside the biggest men's locker room, Coulson and May shushing each other as they hefted the tub of syrup and pump inside. Deke chuckled to himself as he watched them hurry out 20 minutes later, the tub empty and pump in hand. They were laughing hysterically, May's hand on his arm as she tried to catch her breath. Coulson was grinning at her when the laughter subsided, and even behind a computer screen Deke could tell Coulson had it bad. </p><p>Coulson and May suddenly looked startled, and before Deke could tell what was going on, May had grabbed Coulson's hand and was dragging him down the hall back towards the dorms. Their hands remained locked the next time he saw them, crossing the courtyard at breakneck speed, laughing and checking behind them every so often.</p><p>Deke sighed happily as the footage ended, running his hands over his face and letting out an excited grunt.</p><p>If they weren't into each other before, they definitely were now. Maybe Deke would add "matchmaker" to his title of Director. He was pretty good at this. Daisy would be proud.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Deke has to give Coulson a little bit of push, and Coulson ends up a little stressed out.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>YAY I'M HAPPY YOU GUYS LIKE THIS ONE SO MUCH 🥰 </p><p>ENJOY CHAPTER 2</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been months since the syrup incident, and Deke had only checked in on his favorite dynamic duo every once in a while. They were flourishing in their classes, being used as examples of what to do during training and only occasionally being an annoyance to Victoria Hand with their pranks. He caught wind of the occasional rumor that there was more going on between Agent Coulson and Agent May, but it usually dissipated as quickly as it appeared.</p><p>The next time he ran into Coulson and May, he didn't actually make any contact with them at first. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time. </p><p>He was walking down the street of one of the towns near the S.H.I.E.L.D Academy, several miles out where he knew his agents scurried off to get away from it all for the weekend. There were only a few places of note, like the few restaurants, the bar his agents frequented, a grocery store that had the best cookies in its bakery and a hotel that was at capacity most of the time.</p><p>Deke was dressed like any other civilian in his denim jeans and band tee, his hands in his pockets as he walked and hummed a random tune. He wasn't looking for anything or anyone in particular, just trying to enjoy a warm Friday night with his Zima in hand.</p><p>That had been a high point for Deke, finding out that at least one bar in this town had a consistent supply of Zima coming in every week. It was a little tradition of his, strolling through town sipping his drink as if he wasn't the head of a spy organization.</p><p>The night started off like any other, with a few agents giving him respectful nods and smiles as they passed by. Many of them were either intoxicated, or well on their way to being so, and Deke found himself laughing when some salutes were sloppy and accompanied by laughter that was downright goofy. The indiscernible music and smell of food that would come back to haunt him made Deke grin as he entered one of the bars, the bartender waving him over with a familiar smirk.</p><p>"Welcome back, Director." Eric Koenig grinned, sliding a fresh Zima his way. "Come to check out the scene?"</p><p>Deke slid his empty bottle into the trash can behind the counter, popping open the new one with a practiced finesse and chugging a quarter of it.</p><p>"Ah… yep." Deke chuckled, leaning against the counter to survey the room. "Gotta tell ya, Eric buddy, it's good to be me."</p><p>"I can only imagine, sir." Eric agreed, moving down the bar to refill someone else's drink as Deke scanned the room. He recognized plenty of faces, students and teachers alike, but he chose not to interrupt their good times by checking in. Instead he just observed and sipped his drink, not really paying much attention as a familiar warm buzz blossomed at the back of his head.</p><p>Laughter caught his attention, which was rare for a Friday night in a bar. Most people were laughing, either because they were drunk or because they were glad to be done with classes and work for the week. No, this laugh was distinct. It was a high alto laugh, ending on a sigh that held much more affection than he was used to hearing from this particular person. The laugh was followed by an amused chuckle, one that made Deke's gaze shoot over to the darkened corner the sounds were emanating from.</p><p>Sitting on high bar stools were Coulson and May. The table they sat at was small, tiny really, made for two people who didn't plan on ordering anything other than drinks. Their shoulders were practically touching, her hand toying with the rim of her glass while his held her free one beneath the table. She nudged his shoulder with her own as she mumbled something to him, and even Deke could see how flushed Coulson's cheeks were. May couldn't seem to stop giggling at nearly everything he said, her own cheeks and neck flushed from her drink and the company.</p><p>"Ah, I see you've spotted our lovebirds." Eric chuckled from behind the bar, wiping a few droplets from the counter.</p><p>"Huh?" Deke blinked, turning to glance at the man. "What, do they come here often?"</p><p>"Of course. I'm surprised you haven't heard about them." Eric shrugged as he flipped absentmindedly through a pile of napkins. "They come in just about every Friday or Saturday night. Sit at the same table. Order the same drinks, unless one of them seems off and then they order something a little stronger. They talk, she giggles, he blushes, and then they do it all over again. They leave together after hours of flirting and holding hands like kindergartners at recess, and we don't see them again until the next week."</p><p>"That's a fun routine." Deke snorted, silently cursing himself for hoping Coulson would have the courage to push for more than just the same thing every week. "Hey, you got any orders from them?"</p><p>Eric paused, pulling out his notepad and flipping to the newest entry.</p><p>"Actually, yeah. Got one order of french fries about to go out to them in a sec. Why?"</p><p>"Lemme see that."</p><p>Deke took the notepad and offered pen, scribbling something down with a flourish at the end. He pulled out a tiny device, wrapping it in the paper before handing the small package back to Eric.</p><p>"Have this tucked into his pocket when the fries go out."</p><p>Eric blinked, tilting his head at the words "open carefully" written on the outside of the folded paper. He shrugged, then nodded and agreed to have it delivered discreetly to Coulson.</p><p>Deke moved around the bar so he wasn't in Coulson's direct line of sight, gently pushing something into his ear and waiting for the telltale *ping* to sound that would indicate that he was connected.</p><p>He didn't have to wait very long, the ping sounded right before yet another laugh from May could be heard in his ear.</p><p>"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back. Don't eat my fries."</p><p>"Wouldn't dream of it."</p><p>There was the sound of metal chair legs scraping the floor, then a soft sigh of relief.</p><p>"Sir?"</p><p>Coulson's voice sounded tense, fearful and nervous in a way that almost made Deke laugh.</p><p>"Hi again, Agent Coulson."</p><p>"Director, sir. Where...where are you? What's going on?"</p><p>"Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything. And just know I'm somewhere where I can see you."</p><p>"Okay…"</p><p>From his position, Deke could see Coulson trying his best to not look like he was talking to no one, his head tilted downward so it looked more like he was either counting his french fries or simply feeling the effects of the alcohol he'd drank.</p><p>"I see you and Agent May have hit it off."</p><p>"Oh." Coulson laughed nervously, and Deke could see the deep red blush creeping up to take over his entire face. "Sort of, I guess, sir."</p><p>"I would say more than sort of. I hear you two have made a tradition out of spending time together like this."</p><p>"I… I guess we have."</p><p>"It's impressive, Agent Coulson. Seeing how much you've improved in your…" Deke grinned as he sipped more of his Zima. "...communications skills."</p><p>"Thank you, sir. I've been trying." Coulson laughed uncomfortably. Why did he get the feeling this was about to get dangerously invasive?</p><p>"Have you kissed her yet?"</p><p>Coulson's shocked expression was evident and oh so obvious, and Deke had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing hysterically. But before Coulson could even begin to come up with a response, May returned and he went stiff.</p><p>"Miss me?" May hummed as she resituated herself on her seat.</p><p>Coulson just stared at her, responding to Deke's question rather than Melinda's.</p><p>"Uh, no…"</p><p>May gave him an odd look, and Coulson was forced to ignore the Director's laughter in his ear as he backpedaled.</p><p>"Sarcasm, May." He forced a chuckle that he seriously hoped sounded real. May didn't seem alarmed, shrugging his strange behavior off and chugging half of her recently-refilled drink.</p><p>"I can't believe you haven't kissed her yet, Coulson." Deke grinned, watching as Coulson did his best to look like he was listening to Melinda next to him and not the man chuckling in his ear. "It's been months."</p><p>Coulson bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't want to be disrespectful, but he would give anything for Director Shaw to just go away right now. Truth was, he'd been planning on initiating he and Melinda's first kiss for a little while now. But every time he got close to the finish line, he either chickened out, or something else caught their attention like someone's party getting out of hand a few houses down from her dorm when he took her home. He had been determined to fix that problem tonight, because he definitely didn't want her to think he wasn't interested in her. </p><p>He was more than interested. Way more.</p><p>And he'd done his best to show her that up until now, kissing her cheek, her nose, her forehead… that final goal always just out of reach when they said goodbye for the night.</p><p>In all the ways he could have imagined finally going for it, he never would have thrown the Director in there. And yet there he was, currently explaining why kissing Melinda May was part of his "assessment"... while the woman in question was too busy people watching to notice how uncomfortable her date was.</p><p>"Look, I'm going to help you."</p><p>Coulson stiffened considerably, nearly knocking over his drink. May startled, staring at him in alarm as he caught the drink just in time.</p><p>"Sorry, got chills." He blushed, giving her an embarrassed smile. "You know how I get around you."</p><p>His statement was further driven home by their fingers intertwining on top of the table, and he inwardly gave himself a pat on the back for managing to cover so well.</p><p>"You're such a dork." May's cheeks tinted red, and she gave him a soft half-smile before squeezing his hand and looking back to the crowd in front of them. "It's a good thing you're cute."</p><p>"Impressive. Nice to see you've made more than a little progress in the relationship department, Agent Coulson." Deke crossed his arms as another Zima was slid his way. "But I want to see if you've got the drive to get what you want tonight. Don't worry, I'll be there to help along the way. All you have to do is keep pushing forward."</p><p>Coulson tried to think of a way to ask what exactly he meant without alerting Melinda, but failed. He just nodded slightly and hoped the Director saw it as he chugged half of his drink. It was going to be a long night.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>Whoever had taught Director Shaw how to flirt needed to be fired from whatever job they had. Coulson, with the Director's guidance, had suggested he and Melinda take a walk to clear their heads after the drinks they'd practically gulped down.</p><p>That had been a good idea.</p><p>A bad idea had been the lights around them suddenly dimming and taking on a reddish hue. </p><p>"Phil…?" May sounded concerned, which she had every right to be.</p><p>Music started playing from...somewhere, and Coulson would have been as alarmed as May was had he not been able to hear the excited murmuring in his ear that let him know what was up. The only good thing that happened as a result was May shifting closer to him with her defenses raised, their hands tightly joined together as they hurried out of the park and away from the rather ominous lighting situation. He'd kissed her head to help her relax, and she gave him the sweetest smile in return, refusing to let go of him as they headed back towards campus.</p><p>Thankfully Deke realized that forced romance was not their thing, and Coulson silently accepted his uncomfortable apology.</p><p>They hopped on the bus together, where May rested her head against his shoulder as they rode back to her dorm. Deke had suggested he put an arm around her shoulders, and while tempting, Coulson had nearly given himself a heart attack trying to do so. The top May wore was just a hair too big for her, so the shoulder farthest away from him had been exposed when she'd shifted to rest against him. Fear ran through Coulson, a voice in the back of his mind telling him that if he touched her there, he might not be responsible for the actions that followed. May had drunkenly mentioned how sensitive certain spots were a few weeks ago, and Coulson knew they weren't ready for the thoughts that were bouncing around in his head just from staring at one of those particular spots.</p><p>By the time he had been about to just go for it, the bus stopped and caused his raised hand to slam into the back of the seat. He groaned, holding his stinging hand to his chest and trying not to whimper.</p><p>He heard Director Shaw groan in exasperation, but couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed.</p><p>"Is your hand okay?"</p><p>Coulson looked over at May, his chest aching at the concern in her eyes. He couldn't speak for a little while, drawn in by the spectacle that was Melinda May. He nodded as they left the bus, and started walking towards her dorm while Coulson cradled his hand like a baby. They had just reached her building when she noticed he had yet to take her hand again.</p><p>"Coulson? Your hand?" She raised an eyebrow at him.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, no it's fine. Just still a little achy." He chuckled uneasily, shaking it to prove he was alright. Instead, he winced.</p><p>May sighed, almost in sync with another sigh that only Coulson could hear.</p><p>"You boys and your masculinity. Come on, Happy Hands."</p><p>Coulson could only follow as she practically dragged him by the wrist up the stairs and through the door to her dorm room. It was just like all the other dorms, with a large window on the far wall. There was a plush couch against the adjoining wall, a tv mounted above a video game console that looked like it had seen some late nights. Coulson smiled to himself, knowing Melinda wasn't a gamer. More than likely, she was the one asleep on the couch while her roommate Maria Hill burned through game after game. Imagining Melinda asleep made Coulson's stomach twist with affection.</p><p>He blinked, focusing on the dorm again to calm himself. There was a standard, fully stocked kitchen off to the left, and a hallway that led to decked-out bedrooms to the right. Deke mumbled something about going big or going home.</p><p>As they headed for the living room, Coulson didn't want to think about what Melinda's room might look like, even though he knew it probably looked something like his own. Thinking about her room would lead to more thoughts that he wasn't ready for.</p><p>"You finally bring a guy home for once and he's injured?" Maria Hill laughed as May and Coulson spotted her on the couch.</p><p>"Whatever, Maria." May sighed. "I thought you had a date tonight."</p><p>"I do. He's outside waiting for me. I just wanted to see what you were up to before I left." Maria stood and sized Coulson up, smirking. "Nice to finally meet the guy she's been leaving on the doorstep."</p><p>"What is this, a rom com?" Deke snorted, rolling his eyes at the hopelessness of his agents.</p><p>"Uh...nice to meet you too." Coulson laughed awkwardly, glad he didn't need to think of another response as May dragged him away.</p><p>"Goodbye, Maria." May rolled her eyes, gently pushing Coulson onto the couch once Maria slipped past them.</p><p>"Have fun you two." Maria grinned, stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind her.</p><p>May just rolled her eyes again.</p><p>"Sorry about her. She's...a mess."</p><p>"No worse than my roommate."</p><p>May smiled, walking off towards the kitchen.</p><p>"Oh yeah, I forgot you bunk with John Garrett. He's a douchebag."</p><p>"Tell me about it." Coulson chuckled, taking a deep breath when he heard 'you're getting there, just relax' in his ear.</p><p>May returned, ice pack in hand. She sat next to him, gesturing to the hand he was still babying.</p><p>"Lemme see."</p><p>The ice pack was cold, even though it was wrapped in a towel. A shiver ran down Coulson's spine, and May's resulting laughter was like music to his ears. </p><p>"You've got goosebumps." She smiled, running her fingers over the hair on his arm.</p><p>He chose not to tell her it wasn't just because of the ice pack.</p><p>May drew the blinds on the window when they decided to watch a movie, Coulson not wanting to leave just yet and May enjoying his company as well. Coulson was sure the movie would have been interesting, if he didn't have Director Shaw trying to basically cheer him on every ten minutes.</p><p>"Just put your arm around her. Now lean into it. But let her close the space so she doesn't feel trapped."</p><p>Coulson wanted to tear out his earpiece. He was so nervous from having Melinda tucked into his side while being cheered on by the DIRECTOR OF S.H.I.E.L.D that he was about to vibrate out of his skin. Why had he agreed to this? Coulson wasn't that bad at dating...was he?</p><p>The movie continued on, and finally he felt himself start to relax when Melinda let out a contented sigh and shifted so more of her was touching him.</p><p>No, he wasn't bad at dating. He was bad at making a move. He'd learned that tonight. Sure, they might get to kissing one day, but if it were up to Coulson and his nerves, they might not get to it until their three year anniversary. </p><p>The credits for the movie began to roll, and Coulson felt himself get tense all over again as a sleepy Melinda shifted off of him.</p><p>"You should probably head to your dorm. It'll be lights out in an hour and we don't need Hand breathing down your neck for breaking curfew. I have to stay up for a while until Maria gets done with her date so I can sneak her back in through the window." She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. Coulson swallowed thickly as her shirt rode up a bit and he got a quick glimpse of her belly button. Was it weird to think it was the cutest belly button he had ever seen?</p><p>"Uh, yeah. Right." Coulson nodded, standing up and stretching as well. </p><p>He followed May to the door, his heart pounding in his ears as he realized what was about to happen.</p><p>"Final stretch, Coulson. Don't screw this up." Deke whispered over the comms. </p><p>Coulson gulped, huffing softly at the Director adding even more pressure to this already terrifying situation. The reached the door much quicker than Coulson would have liked, and before he knew it, he was standing on the other side of her doorway, staring at her mouth while Director Shaw practically chanted “kiss her, kiss her, kiss her” in his ear.</p><p>Coulson let out a shaky sigh, his stomach twisting and churning as Melinda just...stood there watching him.</p><p>“So...um… thanks for...this.” he chuckled awkwardly, holding up his loosely bandaged hand.</p><p>“You’re welcome. Get home safe, okay?”</p><p>He nodded, squeezing the hand that she’d slipped into his own. He let it go a moment later, shoving his sweaty palms into his pockets, trying not to stare at her mouth as much as he wanted to.</p><p>Was it just him, or did May seem a little disappointed?</p><p>The awkward silence between them seemed to stretch forever, and Coulson wished he just had the courage to do what needed to be done. Director Shaw wasn’t helping either, with his chanting and yelling and grunting as his frustration seemed to be mounting. Coulson wished he could apologize, both to May and the Director. He already knew he wasn’t going to go through with this, it was just a matter of walking away.</p><p>So why couldn’t he move? </p><p>It wasn’t hard...just turn around and walk across campus to his dorm room. He could deal with the consequences of his cowardice tomorrow. Just turn around. </p><p>Turn. </p><p>Around.</p><p>Turn around!</p><p>“Coulson?”</p><p>He blinked, refocusing his attention on May, who was suddenly blushing so hard that her entire face had gained a red tint. Coulson was instantly concerned, putting his hand on her arm just in case.</p><p>“...May?”</p><p>“I’m sorry about this.”</p><p>“Did she just say she’s sorry? Coulson what did you do?”</p><p>Coulson missed Deke’s confused questions, because the next thing he knew, May’s lips were leaving his. It had been just a small little kiss, soft and over far too soon for either of their liking, but enough to completely change the air between them.</p><p>The silence over the comms had Deke more than a little panicked. Since they didn’t have cameras in the dorm rooms, just as a ‘duh’ rule, Deke couldn’t see what had caused Coulson to go radio silent. There was a camera in the hallway, but it was angled to where all Deke could see was a sliver of the back of Coulson still positioned in her doorway. He hadn’t dropped unconscious yet so Deke could only assume May hadn’t punched him or anything.</p><p>“Coulson?” he tried, leaning forward onto his desk a little as he listened as hard as he could for...something. “Are you dead? Did she kill you?”</p><p>Suddenly, movement! It was quick, but it was there. Coulson had disappeared from sight, right back into May’s room. There was a lot of shuffling, some confused laughter, a giggle… and then May’s voice way too close to the earpiece.</p><p>“Tell the Director that Victoria Hand says to stop eavesdropping and go to bed.”</p><p>The click of their comms disconnecting was the last sound Deke heard, while a sense of dread washed over him. He was never going to hear the end of this one.</p><p>So he wasn't surprised when his phone started vibrating five minutes later, Victoria Hand's ringtone shattering the silence.</p><p>XXXXXX</p><p>“So… you knew I had the Director in my ear?”</p><p>Coulson’s nose was buried in her hair, the two of them cuddled up on her couch while some cliche Hallmark movie played on the tv. After a laughter-filled makeout session, Coulson and May decided he should stick around for a little longer. He was holding her in his lap, her back against his chest, relishing in the feel of her finally wrapped in his arms. After months of trying not to push their “relationship” further than she wanted him to, he could finally relax and lose himself in her in a way that half their class could only dream of.</p><p>“I figured it out.” she paused sighing as his fingers in her hair started to lull her to sleep. “Actually, Hand figured it out.”</p><p>“I can’t believe she was your “Director Shaw”.” he chuckled, yawning once before settling more comfortably beneath her. “I thought he was the only one interested.”</p><p>“She caught me off guard that’s for sure.” Melinda grinned. “She called me in her office after the feather incident. I thought I was about to get expelled.”</p><p>“You could set half the campus on fire and they wouldn’t expel you.” Coulson snorted, tightening his arms around her torso. “You’re too good.”</p><p>“Thanks for calling me an arsonist.” May practically giggled when his nose brushed her neck. It was an amazing sound. “She sat me down and went on and on about how she was ‘so tired’ of disciplining us and suggested we ‘find another way to flirt’.”</p><p>Coulson laughed at her exasperated tone and air quotes.</p><p>“So she decided to help us get together?” he smirked. “That’s a weird solution.”</p><p>“‘Anything to stop the pranks.’ Those were her words exactly.” May shrugged.</p><p>“You’re still going to pull pranks, though, aren’t you?” Coulson almost sounded exhausted, as if pulling pranks with Melinda wasn’t the most fun he’d had since he was a kid.</p><p>“Oh, yeah definitely.” she snorted, as if it was the dumbest question.</p><p>“Sounds like a plan,” he hummed. “Just let me know when and where.”</p><p>“Oh as if you had a choice, Mr. I Can’t Kiss A Girl Without Help From the Literal Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.”</p><p>“You are never going to let me live this down are you?” Coulson sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.</p><p>May shifted off of his lap, turning around to straddle him and settle against his chest. Her arms went around his shoulders, her face nestled in the crook of his neck. Coulson sighed contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, wondering what amazing deed he had done to deserve to be the one cuddling someone like Melinda May.</p><p>“As long as we’re together, I will hold this over your head.” she mumbled against his skin, laughing softly.</p><p>“That’s going to be a long time.” he grinned, drawing out the word ‘long’ until she playfully shoved his shoulder.</p><p>They were quiet for a while, Coulson drowsily rubbing her back as he started to drift off.</p><p>"Should we tell the Director his little plan worked?" She hummed, her voice already heavy with sleep.</p><p>"Nah…" he groaned, running his fingers up and down her spine with a contented sigh when he felt her breathing even out. "Somehow I think he knows."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's hard to end fics like this 😐 </p><p>Leave a comment, tell me what you thought!</p><p>Thanks for reading!!! ❤❤❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>